Cowl ventilator



W. C. ZOLLER COWL VENTILATOR Sept. 13; 1927. ,319

Filed July 5, 1923 Patented Sept. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES WARREN C. ZOLLER, OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN.

. COWL VENTILATOR.

Application filed July 5, 1923. Serial NO. 649,441.

This invention relates to ventilators for V automobiles of that type commonly located on the cowl and serving, when open, to admit a current of cool air into the space hetween the drivers seat and the dash.

In the use of such cowl ventilators, con siderable annoyance is often experienced by the occupant or occupants of the front seat on account of insects entering through the 0 ventilation opening, particularly at night when such insects are attracted by the lights of the machine and are easily drawn into the current of air flowing downwardly through the ventilation opening into the space referred to.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved cowl ventilator equipped with an-eflicient guard that will prevent the entrance of insects when the ventilator is fully or partly opened, without in terfering with the ventilating function of the device. Another object is to provide a guard for a cowl ventilator of the hinged cover type which will completely screen the front and sides of the opening, when the cover is fully or partially raised, against the entrance of insects. A further object of the invention is to provide a guard or screen for the purposes described of simple and economical construction capable of application to cowl ventilators presenting varying details of form and structure but which are characterized by the presence of an opening in the top of the cowl and a hinged swinging cover or lid guarding said opening.

Other objects and attendant advantages of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein I have illustrated one practical and approved embodiment of the invention, and in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an automobile, in transverse section through the usual engine bonnet or hood, showing my improved cowl ventilator in open position thereon:

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the ventilator in open position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the ventilator in closed position;

Fig. 4: is a perspective elevation of the guard or screen detached;

- Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 55 of 4, illustrating a simple method of uniting the side walls of the guard to the reticulated front wall; and

standard construction.

12; and bounding this opening is a rectangular ventilator frame 13 attached to the cowl F from beneath by threaded studs 14: and nuts 15, the bottom of the frame being slightly concaved to accurately fit the transversely convex surface of the cowl, as shownfin Fig. 1.

l6 designates the cover or lid of the ventilator formed as usual with downwardly curved marginal flanges 16, said cover, in the closed position of the ventilator, resting upon the upper edge of the frame member 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and thus effectively closing the ventilator, opening 12 against the admission of rain or cold air, when ventilation within the foot space of the car is not desired. To the under side of the cover 16 are attached a pair of elbow brackets 17 mounted at their rear ends on a hinge rod 18 extending between and carried by a pair of hinge lugs 19 secured to the rear wall of the frame 13. The brackets 17 are connected by a rod 20, to which is connected the cover operating mechanism, including an arm 21 mounted on the rod 20 and an actuating rod 22 connected to the lower end of the arm 21 and extending through the dash or instrument board within convenient reach of the driver. The structural details of the ventilator and its operating mechanism as thus far described are old and well-known and need not be further set forth in detail herein.

Referring now to those novel features with which my present invention is more particularly concerned, 23 designates as an entirety the reticulated front wall, and 24 the solid sheet-metal side walls of a guard or screen structure that is attached to the under side of the ventilator. cover 16 and depends therefrom through the frame mem ber 13 and ventilator opening 12. As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the reticulated front wall 23 is transversely curved on an In the cowl 11-is formed a rectangular ventilation opening.

are struck from the hinge 18 as a center and having a radial length equal to the distance between the axis of the hinge 18 and the frontedge of the ventilation opening 12 in the cowl 11. As a result of this, the front wall 23 is in sliding contact with the forward edge of the opening 12 in the open, closed, and all intermediate positions of the cover 16; while the side walls 24l are so spaced as to lie in sliding contact with the side edges of the ventilation opening 12. 7 It thus follows that in the fully and all partially opened positions of the ventilator, the front and sides of the ventilation opening are as effectively guarded against the admission of insects as when the ventilator is fully closed.

WVith a view to providing a very simple and inexpensive structure of guard or screen I have designed the construction herein shown, wherein 25 designates the top member, 26 the bottom member, and 27 the side members of a rectangular sheet-metal frame, and 28 a'finely woven wire screen secured in the frame by folding the upper and lower marginal members 25 and 26 of the latter over the corresponding edges of the screen to clamp the latter, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6. nlach of the end walls 24: is a flatsheet-metal piece formed on its forward edge with an inturned flange 29 which is'entered beneath the ends of the inwardly folded portions of the top and bottom frame members 25 and 26 of the front Wall 23 and secured in place by a few drops of solder indicated at 30. The side walls 2% are also formed on their upper edges with inwardly directed horizontal flanges 31, these flanges lying in contact with the under side of the cover 16 and secured to the latter by screws 32 passed through the cover 16 and through apertures 33 in the flanges 31 and into nuts 34: soldered to the under sides of the flanges 31 and registering with the apertures 33 of the latter. This provides a means for securely fastening the guard to the cover. permitting of its easy application and removal by a screw-driver from the upper side of the ventilator.

I claim- In a cowl ventilator for automobiles, the combination with a hinged cover for the ventilation opening, of a screen structure for said opening comprising a rectangular sheet metal front frame, a woven wire screen covering the opening of said frame, sheet metal and walls formed with inwardly directed flanges on their front and upper edges, the

upper and lower members of said frame be ing folded rearwardly over the corresponding edges of said screen and the upper and lower ends of said front flanges to unite said screen and end walls to said front frame, and screws attaching said upper edge flanges of the end walls to the under side of said cover.

WARREN o. zoLLER. 

